Artwork Page for Box with Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design

Details / Information for Box with Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design

Box with Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design

청자 상감 국화·당초무늬 합 [靑磁象嵌菊花唐草文母子盒]

918–1392
Measurements
Diameter: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.); Overall: 2.6 cm (1 in.)
Credit Line
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

This ceramic container was used to store either incense or cosmetics.

Description

Celadons, spoons, seals, and bronze mirrors were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Once used to contain colored powder, rouge, and eyebrow gel for makeup, this small container was one of the standard goods that furnished elites' tombs. Both women and men used the grain powder of rice or millet for whitening their skin, safflower extract for rouge, and plant ash or soot for eyebrow gel. Yet, natural-looking makeup seems to have been the most favorable one in Korea according to the travelogue by Xu Jing (1091–1153), the Chinese diplomat who visited Korea in 1123.
A ceramic vessel takes a shallow, circular shape, its interior glazed in pale green with a fine network of cracks. Subtle dark specks and discolorations scatter across the surface. A thick, unglazed rim of brownish-gray material encircles the edge, framing the delicate crackle. Symmetrical with short sides rising from a flat base, the rounded form creates a serene composition, its shallow depth accentuating gentle shadows.

Box with Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design

918–1392

Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)

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